Elysia Rotaru’s acting career includes appearances in several popular television programs such as Eureka, Smallville, and Supernatural She’s the voice of Black Canary, Black Canary II, and Young Wonder Woman in Warner Bros. Animation “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths” series. The third installment is now available on demand and 4K. Elysia is also gaining acclaim as a producer in the film industry as her newest short film, “Hell is a Teenage Girl” is currently captivating audiences at film festivals around the world. We caught up with her to discuss her career and projects.
Thank you for agreeing to meet with Occhi Magazine. Congratulations on your career to date. For readers unfamiliar with your background, how did you get into acting?
Hey, thanks for having me, it’s a pleasure. Well, I started performing at a really young age mostly because I was on stage as a competitive pianist in my youth. Later, I got involved in theater during elementary and high school, which led me to pursue a BFA in theater at university. But my on-camera career began back in 2008 when I started auditioning and booking some pretty amazing projects. In 2010, I also ventured into voiceover work, and I’ve been fortunate to continue working in both of those spaces since then.
Audiences can catch your portrayal of Black Canary, Black Canary II, and Young Wonder Woman in the animation “Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths” series. What attracts you to a role?
I hope everyone enjoys the film and all the amazing talent in it. It’s been such an honor to play such an iconic role and bring my voice to them. But to answer your question, for me it’s definitely when I see the audition for a role come through that I know I would be the right fit for. It gives me the chance to dip into the character and the world they’re in. There’s a really good feeling you get if you know that a role/project is in alignment with you. And then, after that, it’s just kind of up to the universe to do its part.
You have a prolific acting career that spans video games, film, and television. Of your many achievements is there one you’re most proud of?
Oh man… honestly it’s hard to really pin down one thing, but I think right now at this point in my career something that makes me extremely proud is stepping into a producer role, and seeing projects come to life from the ground up. For example, in my new short film,’ Hell is a Teenage Girl’, I had an amazing experience working with some incredible people. It allowed me to flex a different creative muscle, which I loved. But if I had to choose a favorite role, it would be my lead in Killbird. That shoot was a wild, mental, and physical, fun ride, and the entire cast and crew were lovely to work with
You’re the producer of “Hell is a Teenage Girl’’. Please tell us more about the project, and what audiences can expect.
They can expect a really entertaining and awesome short film that’s gonna keep them locked in for a solid 15 minutes. The film takes us to the town of Springboro, where every Halloween, a masked serial killer terrorizes teenagers who break the ‘Rules of Horror’—don’t drink, don’t do drugs, and don’t have sex! At the center of it all is Parker Campbell, the Slasher’s estranged biological daughter, who is on a life-or-death mission to make things right with the town, clear her family’s name, and stop her father’s reign of terror once and for all.
The film is currently in the festival circuit and it’s getting great reviews from those who have had a chance to see it. We also just announced showings in a few more festivals including the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, Chicago Horror Film Festival, New Orleans Scream Fest, and the Vancouver Horror Show. We are sooooo thrilled for people to see this movie.
Please tell us more about your podcast, ‘You Did it!’ and its origins.
This was a fun venture that I wanted to do because a little more than three years ago, I became a mom, and I had a lot of friends and peers, people in general, reaching out about my journey through motherhood and how my experience was going, etc. etc. So, I thought it would be a fun idea to start a podcast so more people could perhaps gain some insights into the experiences I’ve been through and maybe my stories, guests, and things that worked or didn’t work for my family could help inform or guide others. I’ve always wanted to jump into the podcast space, and I felt that this subject, being so close to home and something I was living through (and will be forever now that I have a child ) could be a good start to get my feet wet with, where I could also learn things from guests on the show and just pay it forward. It was an intense experience learning about hosting and producing a podcast from the ground up. I learned a LOT. And can’t wait for the next idea I have to come to life.
What other projects are you working on?
At the moment I’m in the voiceover booth daily! I’m so grateful for all the opportunities, some of which are really exciting projects in the video game world that I can’t really talk about yet, because they are under wraps until the projects launch. But you can definitely hear me in a few commercial campaigns for Walmart and Dominos, to name a few. I’m also working with my production partner, Stephen Sawchuk, on developing our film Hell is a Teenage Girl into a feature, and fleshing out a few other projects we have on our slate. I’m also welcoming in all the other wonderful adventures and opportunities that align with me.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
People reach out or just creep me on most platforms but mainly on Instagram & TikTok @elysiarotaru, on YouTube @ElysiaRotaruOfficial, and on my website at www.elysiarotaru.com.
OCCHI, thank you for the chat and whoever is reading this right now, thank you for your support and love. XO.
Credits
Images by George Duchannes Photography
Hair and Makeup by Lisa Monique
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